Heritage
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is more than just a Celestial Spirit Wizard. She's inherited something more, a power that flows in her very blood, a heritage that goes back to forgotten times and a different world, and one that has since been forgotten...until now.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Fairy Tail. The former is owned by Tite Kubo, and the latter by Hiro Mashima.

Heritage

Prologue

Lucy Heartfilia hated it when her sixth sense was right, and she hadn't followed its warning.

Apparently the Salamander was running a slave ring, using forbidden charm magic to attract stupid young women to him, and taking them on his ship for a supposed party there placed them under a sleeping spell before taking them to Bosco to be sold off. If it weren't for the fact that between her…abilities, and that charm magic was useless against anyone who knew the user was using it, she'd have been taken in as well.

 _I really wish I hadn't given him a second chance, and that I should have seen this coming._

"You know," Lucy said aloud with evident disgust. "I'd call you a petty criminal, if it weren't for the fact that lumping slavers like you with petty criminals would be insulting to them."

Salamander just laughed in her face. "Fine words," he said before holding up her keys. "But did you forget that Celestial Spirit Wizards are useless without their keys?"

"You coward…!"

Salamander laughed again. "Maybe," he admitted. "But you know, I think there's nothing more pathetic than a sore loser. There's no escape little girl so you might as well just give up."

Lucy growled, and then smiled in her turn, taking more than a little satisfaction at seeing his smug smile slip ever so slightly. "Think so…?" she asked. "Unfortunately for you though, I'm not just a Celestial Spirit…"

Lucy was cut off as something smashed through the roof and fell into the cabin, and was quickly revealed to be the boy Natsu from earlier. "Hey aren't you…?" Lucy began only to break off with a grimace as he collapsed, apparently from motion sickness. "What the…?"

Salamander laughed at the sight, causing her to growl again. " _I'm getting really sick of hearing that guy laugh_." She thought darkly.

"Lucy!" she heard a childish voice call her name, and she looked up. Her jaw dropped as she saw Happy – the talking cat that was with Natsu – flying on a pair of wings sprouting from his back. "What are you doing here?"

Lucy closed her jaw, flushing and looking away in mild embarrassment. "No," she said. "It's a long story. I um, I got tricked."

"Okay, I'll get you out of here then." He said cheerfully, swooping down and grabbing her with his tail. "Hold on!"

"Hey wait…!" Lucy shouted as she was lifted up into the air and through the hole in the ceiling. "No, never mind me, but what about Natsu?"

"He'll be alright!" Happy said cheerfully. "You'll see!"

"After them…!" Salamander shouted. "They'll tell the Council! No, I'll take care of this myself!"

The wizard spread his arms, and deploying a magic circle between them aimed at Lucy and Happy. "Prominence Wind…!"

A blast of purple fire shot up at them, only to be nimbly dodged by Happy. "They're shooting at us!" Lucy shouted, as repeated blasts of purple fire shot up into the sky.

"Aye…!"

"That's not something you should be saying right now!" Lucy shouted, struggling with Happy's tail. "Running won't solve anything we need to stand our ground!"

"Hey stop that! That tickles! Lucy!" Happy protested while trying to dodge Salamander's constant attacks. His flight growing slow and erratic, Salamander steadily narrowed his aim, and finally managed to land a glancing hit, causing Happy and Lucy to fall fast and hard from the sky. "Lucy!"

"Hold on!" she shouted, holding Happy tight and pumping ethernano through her veins like her mother had taught her. Or, as her mother had called it: spiritual particles.

* * *

Salamander looked on as the girl and the flying cat smashed through the front of his ship. He spat in disgust. "What a troublesome catch we've got this time." He snapped. "I'll have that little brat and her friends work their bones down to pay back the damage to my ship with interest."

He whirled and turned to his men. "Hurry and tie those brats up, and don't forget their cat can fly!" he ordered.

"Sir…!"

"Wait, damn you!" the girl shouted from behind him. Salamander whirled, and he saw the blonde girl standing on the edge of the hole her 'landing' had left in the front of his ship. She set the slightly-singed cat down on the deck beside her. Salamander narrowed his eyes as he saw what looked like black, vein-like patterns on her skin fading away.

 _What are those? Body Enhancement Magic…? Is that how she managed to avoid getting hurt from falling from so high?_

"You alright, Happy?" the girl asked.

"Aye!" the cat answered surprisingly cheerfully. "But, what are you…?"

"It'll be fine." The girl replied. "I did say we should stand our ground, but I guess I should have added we should only do that, when we can actually stand our ground."

"Eh?"

"Little girl," Salamander began mockingly. "Do you really…?"

There was a flicker of movement, and the girl was right next to him. There was another flicker of movement, and then she was gone, and her keys with her. Salamander whirled in alarm, spotting her standing on the stern railing, holding one of her keys aloft. "Damn…!" he cursed.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer: Aquarius!" the girl shouted, and in a flash of light, a mermaid-like Celestial Spirit appeared.

"A fish…!" Happy exclaimed at the sight.

"Sorry for the short notice," the girl said. "But we really need to get to shore…"

"Humph," the Celestial Spirit snorted. "And I was about to go on a date with my boyfriend too. You need to get to shore that badly, huh? Fine, I'll give you a hand."

"Huh? No wait, there's no need to…Aquarius!"

Shouting loudly, the Celestial Spirit raised the jar she was holding, the waves rising in tandem. And then she swept outwards, water spilling from the jar and together with a massive wave swept over and past the ship towards the shore.

* * *

Hargeon Port was usually a sleepy little place at night, the sound of the crickets soothingly mixing with the murmur of the waves on the shore. It thus came as a complete surprise – to those awake such as the watchmen – when the waters receded for a few minutes from shore, and then returned smashing the harbour, the ships docked therein, and much of the shorefront to ruins.

And sweeping a capsized ship to shore, where it broke apart and spilling panicked, shaken, and tumbled men out to shore. Dozens of women too, one talking cat, and a blonde nineteen year-old who found herself kicking her way out of a pile of rubble. "Damn it Aquarius," she said angrily, black, vein-like patterns on her skin flickering and fading away as she got to her feet. "Do we have to keep doing this each and every time?"

A blast of purple fire shot at her and she nimbly dodged. "Salamander…!" she shouted.

"You little brat…!" Salamander shouted and his magic circle bright with the wizard's anger. "Do you realize what you've done? I'll kill you!"

Several jets of fire blasted out at her, but Lucy dodged them all with seeming ease. "I'd like to see you try!" she shouted, pulling the cross on her necklace free. Clutching it in a hand, she manipulated the spirit particles in the air, and with a flash of light she was holding a longbow in her hand.

Dodging several more attacks, she flashed back to a more stable position, drew back, and let fly, several glowing arrows manifesting from a single shot. Salamander dodged them, and narrowly avoided a second salvo aimed in the direction of his earlier dodge. "You bitch!" he swore.

Lucy aimed and fired, her arrows gouging streaks through the ground where they landed. And then a flicker of motion to the side caught her attention, Lucy turning in its direction. Salamander did likewise, the two combatants staring at Natsu as he stood on the ship's gutted hulk. "You say you're a member of Fairy Tail?" he asked.

"What's it to you?" Salamander shouted before gesturing at his men. "Get him! Leave the bitch to me!"

Shouting their assent, the thugs rushed Natsu, Lucy narrowing her eyes at the sight. Going by what she'd seen of him so far, she should be worried, but…

…once again, her sixth sense was telling her there was nothing to worry about.

And it was quickly proven true, as Natsu punched out the thugs with ease. And then he pulled off his cloak, revealing a very telling tattoo on one of his arms. "My name's Natsu and I am a Fairy Tail wizard!" he shouted. "I've never seen you before!"

Lucy could only gape, as did Salamander and the remaining thugs. "Mister Bora!" one of them suddenly shouted, pointing at Natsu. "It's the real Salamander!"

"Idiot…! Don't say my name so loudly!"

"The real…wait, Natsu's _the_ Salamander?" Lucy gasped out. "Then who the hell is that Bora guy?"

"Bora the Prominence," Happy supplied helpfully, suddenly sounding very serious. "I heard he was kicked out of the Titan Nose Guild for bad behaviour a couple of years ago."

Lucy snorted at that. "Well," she said. "He's certainly beyond bad behaviour now."

"I don't know what your business here is," Natsu said ominously as he strode down the ship's hull. "And I don't care if you're a good or bad guy, but I won't forgive you dirtying Fairy Tail's name!"

Bora laughed. "And what are you going to do, stop me?" he asked mockingly, his magic circle flashing. "Prominence Typhoon…!"

There was a blast of purple fire, even bigger than those before, engulfing Natsu and much of the hulk. "Natsu…!" Lucy shouted, only to be stopped from moving forward by Happy.

"Dealing with loudmouth weaklings like you is such a pain…" Bora began to say as he turned his back on Natsu.

"Disgusting," Natsu suddenly said, and Bora turned only to see Natsu standing there, unharmed, actually _sucking in_ the flames and _eating_ it. "Are you really a fire wizard? Those are the worst flames I've ever tasted. Oh well, thanks for the meal, so let's get started! Fire Dragon's Roar…!"

Holding his hands up to his mouth, Natsu blew out a blast of fire so intense it thunderously displaced the air in front of it, and forcing Bora and his men to scatter and Lucy to shield her face. "He eats fire, and attacks with it?" she asked in disbelief. "That's some Fire Magic there!"

"Fire can't hurt Natsu." Happy said cheerfully, watching with Lucy as Bora desperately tried to fight back only to get kicked around by Natsu. Purple and bright orange flame lit up the surrounding sky, explosions punctuating the on-going battle. "He has dragon's lungs that let him breathe fire, dragon scales to absorb fire, and dragon's claws to attack with fire. It's an ancient magic that turns one into a dragon, and one that almost doesn't exist anymore."

"Almost…doesn't exist anymore…" Lucy echoed, and glanced down at her bow. After a moment, she looked up and back at the battle.

Happy nodded, and then continued. "It's a magic originally used to fight dragons." He said. "That's why it's called Dragon Slayer Magic, and it was taught to him by Igneel."

"Dragon Slayer Magic…?" Lucy echoed.

A powerful blast of displaced air rippled outward as Bora unleashed his most powerful spell, only for Natsu to eat it up. "Now that's a good meal!" he said happily. "It's not bad at all! Even so, I'm going to cook you up!"

"You're what?" Bora shouted incredulously.

Natsu slammed his fists together in an explosion of fire, heat, and energy. "Fire Dragon's Fist…!" he roared, charging forward at the screaming Bora and with a punch sending him flying across town, through several buildings and into the clock tower which clanged repeatedly as it collapsed on the defeated fire wizard.

"Amazing," Lucy breathed at the sight. And then she blinked, and took in the brightly-burning ruins around them. "Though…!"

At the same time the sound of armoured boots striking the ground in time could be heard coming up the road, but when Lucy tried to look she found her hand grabbed and pulled along by Natsu. "The army's coming!" he shouted in sudden panic. "Let's get out of here!"

"Good idea, but where are you taking me?" Lucy demanded, struggling to get in pace with Natsu.

"You wanted to join Fairy Tail didn't you?" Natsu asked over a shoulder. "So come on!"

Lucy blinked, and then nodded with a grin. "Alright…!" she said, running up to Natsu's pace.

 _Sorry mother, but despite being a Quincy, I'm going to chase after that excitable bunch called Fairy Tail_.

* * *

A/N

And crossover…!

Some of you have probably noticed that Lucy's considerably different from in canon, which is to be expected. She's a Celestial Spirit Wizard _and_ a Quincy, and the latter comes with a mind-set of its own.

No pairing in mind yet, so suggestions?


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Fairy Tail. The former is owned by Tite Kubo, and the latter by Hiro Mashima.

Heritage

Chapter 1

 _They charged at her, the bandits, swinging swords and hammers and other weapons._

 _She stood her ground though, calmly pulling back the drawstring, taking aim, and then letting fly in a matter of moments. Each shot was precise, aimed not to kill, but to disable. Each shot left a bandit falling, screaming in pain as blood erupted from wounds over ruined joints. It was nothing they wouldn't recover from, they would at receive at least basic medical attention from the authorities before they stood trial._

 _It wasn't like they would be able to afford it on their own otherwise, bandits being bandits._

 _She lowered her bow slightly, and used Hirenkyaku to move to another location in the blink of an eye as the remaining bandits got too close. Some had had the 'bright' idea of trying to take some of the villagers as hostages._

 _She'd severed their spines in response._

 _Spiritual particles flew bright and fast through the air as she charged a shot, and fired a high-power Heilig Pfeil that blew the bandit leader's magic weapon into glittering shards of metal and lacrima. That broke their nerve, and the survivors fled, leaving their comrades behind._

 _No such luck._

 _Aiming quickly, Lucy shredded their knees from behind with precise shots. And then, she slowly lowered her bow. For a few moments there was relative silence, broken only by the sobs, moans, and groaning of the bandits. And then cheers broke out from the villagers, who rushed to Lucy with shouts of gratitude._

 _Lucy weakly grinned with a small blush, half-heartedly trying to shrug off their praise and pats. A flicker of movement and a large shadow behind her silenced them, and she and the villagers turned to see a dagger which would have buried itself in her back go flying._

 _The bandit was young, barely a slip of a boy. Apparently he'd lain low or hidden himself while his fellow bandits were getting theirs, and had taken the chance to knife her while her back was turned and her senses obscured by all the people. Lucy bit her lip at that._

 _She should be more perceptive than that._

 _The man who'd saved her was a tall, redheaded man with a chin covered in stubble. His clothes weren't particularly impressive, dirty and worn, drab-colored, but clearly of good make. Whoever he was, despite appearances he wasn't just a vagabond, but apparently a man of some means who just happened to travel a lot._

 _And his presence. Lucy's spiritual sense could feel the power in his form, which echoed the power it contained. Such towering power…she hadn't felt anything like it since her mother had died, and even then only when she demonstrated her Quincy Vollstandig that one time._

 _But for all his power, it was seemingly tempered by an even and intelligent light in his eyes. And when he spoke, it wasn't without warmth. "You okay there, little lady?" he asked._

" _Y-yeah…" Lucy said, before giving a cough. "Thanks for that, I um, uh…"_

" _Ha, no problem." The man said, glaring down at the boy at his feet. In the distance, the sound of armored boots could be heard as the local knights finally arrived, late as usual. "That was pretty good showing there, though even without that I can't really let a pretty girl take a knife in the back, can I now?"_

 _Lucy laughed briefly. "I guess not." She said. "Thanks again. My name's Lucy Heartfilia by the way, so what's yours?"_

 _The redheaded man smiled. "I'm Gildarts," He introduced himself. "Gildarts Clive; nice to meet you, Lucy."_

* * *

Two people stood in front of a large, multi-story building emblazoned on the front with the emblem of the Fairy Tail Magic Guild. "This is the Fairy Tail Guild House." Lucy said softly. "It looks just like in the pictures."

"Of course it does." Natsu said, taking one of Lucy's hands and dragging her along (again) to the front doors. "Come on!"

"Stop dragging me around." Lucy said chidingly as she pulled her hand free, Natsu opening the doors and showing her in. "I can walk just fine you know. And also…"

Lucy trailed off as she walked inside after Natsu, taking the guildhall in. It was rather plain, looking like a cafeteria rather than the guildhall of the number one magic guild in Fiore. Though, on second glance the wooden floor was elaborately-decorated in a parquet design, which wouldn't have come cheap. And the second floor which towered overhead seemed to be more richly-furnished than the ground floor.

" _For senior or more-powerful members, maybe?_ " she thought.

Lucy blinked and then slightly gaped as Natsu, after cheerfully announcing his return, punched one of his guild-mates (the same one who'd greeted him first).

"You lied about the Salamander!" Natsu bellowed. "I'm going to kick your butt!"

"Don't get mad at me!" the other wizard shouted as he jumped to his feet. "I said it was a rumor didn't I? I just passed it along!"

"It was just a rumor?" Natsu angrily asked incredulously.

"You want a fight?"

"Bring it on!"

Lucy could only watch with morbid fascination as the two wizards started fighting each other, and how it set off most of the guild into fighting each other. Correction: calling it a fight would be stretching things. A brawl would be a more accurate description.

"Natsu's back, eh?" a dark-haired young man going topless asked belligerently as he walked closer. "Good, it's time to finish this once and for all."

"Grey, your clothes." A dark-haired young woman sitting on a table while drinking from a _keg_ no less mentioned, and briefly causing Grey to get flustered.

"No time for that. Natsu! Come here and fight me!"

"Not until you put some clothes on!" Natsu shouted from the middle of the ongoing brawl.

"It's only noon and you boys are already whining like spoiled brats." A large, muscular man with platinum-blonde hair and tanned skin with a scar running down the right side of his face rumbled. "I'm a real man, and I'll prove it to you!"

"What?" Lucy deadpanned at the _non sequitur_ , and then winced as Grey and Natsu punched the man clear across the room.

"BUTT OUT ELFMAN!" They bellowed.

Lucy was seriously reconsidering her decision to follow up the advice she'd received to join Fairy Tail. And then she recognized someone, a young man with spiked orange hair dressed fashionably and with a pair of sunglasses. " _If I remember right that's Loke isn't he? One of the most famous - or infamous depending on who you ask – playboys in the country._ " Lucy thought. And then she narrowed her eyes. " _But, what's this unusual sense I get from him…_ "

She blinked as Loke was hit by a piece of wood, eliciting concern from the two women he'd been sitting with. "I'm fine." He said, shrugging off their concerns while adjusting his sunglasses. "But, I'm going to have to fight now. Of course, it's to protect you."

Lucy had to admit, Loke had a winning smile. But still…

"Oh hello." A voice drew her attention, and Lucy turned to face a platinum-blonde woman she easily recognized as Mirajane Strauss. "You're new here aren't you? Can I help you?"

"Uh yeah," Lucy briefly fumbled. "I actually wanted to join Fairy Tail but, um, is this a bad time?"

"Oh not really," Mirajane said cheerfully. "It happens all the time actually, but it's not as bad as it looks. And it's actually quite…"

The rest of the sentence was lost when a butt-naked Grey nearly fell on Lucy, who only avoided him thanks to _Hirenkyaku_. "Give me back my underwear you jerk!" Grey shouted at Natsu, who was laughing nearby and cheerfully twirling a pair of boxers in one hand. Lucy firmly kept her eyes from Grey's direction, and tried to resume the conversation with Mirajane.

No such luck, unfortunately.

"Excuse me miss but can I please borrow your underwear?" he asked, standing in all his glory in front of her.

Lucy's right hook sent him flying into a knot of brawlers and sending them sprawling through a table and some chairs. "Like hell you pervert!" she shouted, her cheeks pink. "Who the hell walks up to a girl and asks to borrow her underwear? And in the first place why are you walking around half-naked anyway?"

"It's rather insensitive of him isn't it?" Loke said, suddenly popping up beside Lucy. He flashed her a smile. "A woman needs…"

Elfman suddenly punched him away before drawing himself up. "Real men speak with their fists Loke!" he said.

And then he was punched away in his turn by Natsu. "I said butt out didn't I?" he shouted.

"AYE!" Happy said, flying by oblivious to the situation and causing Lucy to sigh.

" _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._ " She thought. A flare of magic nearby suddenly caught her attention at that, and she turned in its direction.

"I can't get a good drink with all this ruckus." The dark-haired woman who'd been drinking from a keg said as a magic circle glowed from a card in her hand. "That's enough guys! Knock it off!"

"Oh yeah?" Grey – who'd managed to recover his pants and underwear – growled at the challenge, his magic circle also flashing into life over his hands. "Says who?"

Elman roared, his right arm seemingly turning to stone. "You punks are such a nuisance." Loke said, a magic circle flaring to life around a ring on his finger.

"BRING IT ON!" Natsu roared, flames erupting around him.

Lucy narrowed her eyes, her body tensing. A brawl was one thing, but once magic was involved, then all bets were off. But as she was about to active _Blut Vene_ just in case, a powerful presence and a massive shadow suddenly loomed down from overhead.

" **YOU FOOLS!** " a shadowed giant thundered from above. " **STOP BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN ALREADY!** "

Awkward, fumbling silence fell, the light of magic circles fading away with the belligerent atmosphere from earlier. And then…

"What a bunch of babies!" Natsu gloated while laughing loudly. "Looks like I win this round…!"

The giant promptly stepped on the wizard, not enough to really hurt him or even knock him out, but it certainly shut him up. "Oh hello master." Mirajane said cheerfully, completely unaffected by the giant's presence or even when it glared down at her. "I didn't know you were here."

"Fairy Tail's…master…?" Lucy breathed, and then took a step back as the giant turned to her.

"Yes." Mirajane said. "This is Makarov, Fairy Tail's Guild Master. Master, this is Lucy Heartfilia."

"A new recruit…?" the giant growled, and then with a visible surge of magical power the giant shrunk down shorter than Lucy, the shadow vanishing to reveal a short old man in eccentric orange clothes.

"Nice to meet you," Makarov said cheerfully. "And welcome to the guild."

"Um, thanks, but don't I need to sign something or other?"

"Hmm…? Oh that, don't worry, Mira here will take care of that."

"Mira…?" Lucy echoed, glancing at Mirajane who just waved cheerfully at her. In the meantime, Makarov jumped up, flipping through the air to land and balance himself on the railings of the upper floor.

"You've done it again, you idiots!" he shouted in exasperation, pulling out a sheaf of paper from a pocket and waving it in the air. "Look at all this! These are all the complaints the Magic Council has sent me! Grey! You managed to round up that smuggler's ring, but then you walked around town naked and to top it all off you stole someone else's underwear off a clothesline before running off."

"But I couldn't keep going around naked!" Grey protested.

"You shouldn't have been naked in the first place." Elfman murmured.

"Elfman!" Makarov continued his tirade. "When providing bodyguard services for a VIP you don't assault that same VIP!"

"He said something about a man's worth is determined by his education, so before I knew it…"

"Cana Alberona: you drank fifteen kegs of alcohol at a tavern, and had them send the bill to the council."

"So they found out."

"Loke, you seduced a councillor's granddaughter, and we've also been filed damages by a certain talent agency. And Natsu…"

At that name, Makarov sighed and palmed his face. "When you took down the Devon Bandit Gang you also destroyed seven private residences. You also destroyed the historic Clock Tower at Tully Village, the church at Freesia Town, damaged Lupinus Castle, wantonly destroyed the Nazuna Ravine Observatory, and levelled half the port at Hargeon."

At the mention of Hargeon Lucy grimaced, and sheepishly looked away. Granted Natsu did do a lot of damage in his fight with Bora, but it was arguably Lucy who wrecked the port when she summoned Aquarius, and the Celestial Spirit had unleashed a tsunami to 'get them to shore'.

 _Let's not mention that._

Lucy blinked and looked back up at Makarov. "…to hell with the Magic Council!" he said after chewing out his guild for a few moments, and catching her by surprise.

 _What?_

"Listen up! Power that surpasses existing reason still has reason behind it! Magic isn't some miraculous power! It's a talent that only works when the power inside of us is synchronized with the power of the natural world! To use magic one's body and mind need to be in perfect focus! It should be the expression of yourself being poured out into the world! And if we get bogged down by following rules down to every last letter then magic will never progress. So don't let those stuffy folks in the council get to you. Follow the path you believe in, because that's why Fairy Tail is Number One!"

A thunderous roar of approval from the guild shook the air and the building itself, and looking around Lucy remembered what led her to this place.

 _Well little lady, if you ever want to get stronger, and in more ways than one, consider joining the guild called Fairy Tail. I'm sure you won't regret it._

Lucy sighed, and then smiled a small smile.

 _They really are a lively bunch aren't they?_

* * *

The stamp came down firmly on Lucy's left hand, and as it was removed it left behind the guild emblem of Fairy Tail in silver. "There," Mira said cheerfully. "You're now officially a Fairy Tail member."

Lucy lifted her hand and regarded the mark with a small smile. "Hmm," she hummed. "Well I won't say it's a dream come true, but I'd say it feels nice to have some direction in life again."

"Is that so?" Mira said. "In that case I hope you'll come to see Fairy Tail as family in the future."

"Family…?" Lucy echoed. Memories of her parents came to mind, of the family they used to be until her mother had died. And after that…

Lucy sighed and shook her head. "Thanks." She said. "I hope so too, really."

Mira smiled at her, and Lucy's smile grew wider. And then it vanished, her right hand coming to catch a playfully-thrown punch. The fist was withdrawn, and Lucy lowered her hand and glanced up at the dark-haired woman, Cana Alberona if she remembered the name right, who was looking down at her with an impressed smile.

"Sharp senses you've got there," she said. "And a fast and nasty right hook too: you sent Grey flying earlier."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, wondering if the woman above had a relationship with the exhibitionist and she was going to stand up for that punch from earlier. " _Come to think of it,_ " she thought. " _She did warn him about walking around half-naked earlier. Was it just common concern, or…?_ "

"Well," she said, deciding to feel things out first. "You don't just walk up naked to a girl and ask if she can lend you her underwear, do you?"

Cana burst out laughing. "No you don't." she said, plopping herself down on a chair next to Lucy at the bar. "Name's Cana Alberona, but you can just call me Cana like everyone here does."

Lucy briefly hesitated, and then smiled before introducing herself. "In that case just call me Lucy." She said. "Lucy Heartfilia."

"Nice to meet you Lucy." Cana said, and Lucy nodded.

"Likewise, Cana…"

Lucy broke off at an argument nearby. "Hasn't my dad come back yet?" a young boy asked Makarov.

"You're starting to get on my nerves, Romeo." Makarov said with a sigh. "Have faith in your father and be patient."

"But he told me he'd be back in three days and it's been over a week now!"

"If I remember right his job was supposed to be on Mount Hakobe…"

"That's right!" Romeo pressed. "It's not too far from here, so hasn't anyone gone looking for him yet?"

"Listen kid your dad's a wizard." Makarov said crossly. "He can take care of himself, just like everyone in this guild. So why don't you just go home and wait over some cookies and milk…!"

"JERK!" Romeo shouted, punching Makarov in the face before running away. Lucy followed him with her eyes, and then glanced at Makarov who was rubbing his nose.

"I know it looks bad," Mira said sadly. "But the master really does care. It's just that…"

"Until he knows for sure, he doesn't want to do anything that might injure that Romeo boy's dad's pride?"

Mira and Cana nodded. "Macao's not as powerful as Erza or Laxus," Cana said. "But he's a dependable guy. Even if the job dragged out, it's probably just that."

Lucy nodded in her turn, and then turned her head sharply at the sound of breaking wood. "Hey Natsu!" an eccentrically-dressed wizard shouted at the redhead as he stormed towards the doors of the guildhall. "You almost broke the bulletin board!"

"He's going to look for Macao, isn't he?" Cana asked, and Mira nodded.

"Probably," she agreed. "Though it's not unusual that he understands how Romeo feels, and would do something about it."

"What makes you say that?" Lucy asked.

Mira hesitated, her eyes briefly flashing to the guild master to no response. After a moment she continued. "When Natsu was still a boy," she began. "His father left and never came back. Though, Igneel wasn't actually Natsu's father. After all, he was a dragon."

Lucy's eyes went wide. "A dragon?" she echoed incredulously. "Are you serious?"

Mira nodded. "Igneel found him as a baby in the forest, and raised him as his own son." She said. "Igneel taught him everything he needed to know, and Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. But then one day, the dragon disappeared and never came back."

"I see." Lucy said, feeling almost ashamed. Despite the way her father had gone after her mother's death, at least he had been there. At least she knew he was there. Natsu though…

"No trouble believing this…?" Cana asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Dragon Slayer Magic is supposed to be a legendary magic, from those old stories about the wars between dragons and Humans." Cana said. "It's said that some dragons who sympathized with the Humans who were being preyed on by other dragons were the ones who taught them Dragon Slayer Magic to protect themselves."

"I know that." Lucy said. "But, you people have no reason to lie about this. And I don't see Natsu exaggerating anything for effect over such a sensitive thing. Who am I to say otherwise?"

Mira and Cana nodded in understanding and respect. "And besides," Lucy said almost to herself. "It's not like I haven't encountered ancient magic myself in the past."

Mira and Cana looked curious, but Lucy just shook her head. "No, it's nothing." She said. "Or rather, I'll tell you someday. For now, though…"

The two older women watched as Lucy levered herself off her seat and stretching made to leave. "Off to accompany Natsu?" Cana asked.

"Someone has to watch his and Happy's back." Lucy answered over a shoulder.

Cana snorted. "Alright," she said. "Just make sure to watch your back too, and get back here with those two in one piece. I'll treat you to a drink, and you can tell me all about the ancient magic you've encountered before."

Lucy smiled over a shoulder, and nodded. "Got it." She said, and then jogged off after Natsu.

* * *

" _I see." Gildarts said as Lucy finished telling her side of the story to one of the knights and by extension, Gildarts, who had been standing nearby. The knights had also taken his side of the story, and now left them be to round up the bandits and take them away._

 _Normally the injuries inflicted by Lucy could count as malicious assault, but given the circumstances – they were bandits after all – the knights let it go. "You're just passing through." He said, and she nodded._

" _The same goes for you too, isn't it Mister Clive?" Lucy asked, and Gildarts laughed._

" _That's right." He said. "Though, please don't call me that, or add 'mister' to my name. It makes me sound so old."_

" _I understand." Lucy said. "Sorry if I offended you."_

" _Nah," Gildarts said, waving her apologies off. "It's alright. I have to say though you've got some skill little lady. Not just with whatever ability or magic's behind your boy or high-speed movement, but your aim is good."_

" _Flattery," Lucy said modestly, but Gildarts shook his head._

" _No," he said. "Anyone could learn how to use a bow and arrow, even an uncommon one like the one you use. They might even become a dead shot."_

" _But?"_

" _But not anyone can take down a murderous bunch like them without killing them like you did." Gildarts said seriously. "Though, from the look in your eyes earlier, I'd say you were sorely tempted."_

 _Lucy was silent for several moments. And then she nodded slowly. "I could have killed them." She whispered. "I could have, and no one would have blamed me for it."_

 _Shaking her head, she glanced piercingly at Gildarts. "What's with this questioning anyway?" she asked warily. "Are you some recruiter for a bounty hunter or mercenary guild?"_

" _No," Gildarts said, raising his hands peacefully. "I'm nothing of the sort. It's just that I was wondering, what's a girl with your level of skill and power doing wandering around like you claim to be?"_

 _Lucy didn't answer, and after several moments Gildarts sighed. "Truth be told I'm from one of Fiore's magic guilds." He said. "Maybe you've heard of it: Fairy Tail."_

 _Lucy raised a wary eyebrow. "I might have." She said neutrally. Gildarts nodded._

" _I'll tell you this much." He said. "In our Fairy Tail, I know plenty of people with at least as much power and skill as you do. And just like you in this case, they could easily kill people if they wanted to, and in many cases no would fault them for it. But they don't."_

 _Lucy stayed silent. "Well," Gildarts eventually said with a sigh. "I suppose it's none of my business. Sorry if I came off as prying or anything like that, but I've got a long trip ahead of me. Well then…"_

 _Gildarts picked up his pack, and with a nod at Lucy began to walk off. He'd barely taken a few steps before Lucy spoke up behind him._

" _I just," she began. "I was just wandering around, trying to see if there was something new I could do with my life. Push my horizons, put another way."_

 _She fell silent for a moment, and then sheepishly looked away. "You did save my life earlier." She said soflty. "I owe you an answer to why I was wandering around, as you put it."_

 _Gildarts was silent for a few moments, but then he chuckled and nodded. "I see." He said. "And I understand. Well little lady, if you ever want to get stronger, and in more ways than one, consider joining the guild called Fairy Tail. I'm sure you won't regret it."_

" _Me?" Lucy said in surprise. "Join Fairy Tail?"_

" _You wanted to push your horizons, didn't you? Well, the choice is yours little lady. You could choose something else to do with your life, and there are other guilds out there too. Just my two cents. Well then…"_

 _Waving a hand in the hair, Gildarts strode off and out of the village. Lucy stood alone for several more moments before thoughtfully looking up at the sky. "Fairy Tail," she said softly, and then she snorted in amusement. "My choice huh…? Well, there's no harm in looking more into them, is there? And after that, we'll see."_

* * *

A/N

Her _Heilig Bogen_ is metallic; I'd put her power level qualitatively on par with Uryuu during the Soul Society arc. She might not be able to use _Letzt Stil_ , but with _Blut_ it evens out.

She'll unlock _Vollstandig_ eventually, but that won't be for a while yet. Well then…


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Fairy Tail. The former is owned by Tite Kubo, and the latter by Hiro Mashima.

Heritage

Chapter 2

"That's really shameful you know." Lucy said in a slightly mocking fashion, sitting in a carriage with Natsu. "A Dragon Slayer, wielder of a magic that goes back to the ancient wars between dragons and Humans, getting motion sickness. I can't help but worry about you, you know?"

"W-w-what?" a wasted Natsu gasped out. And he looked _terrible_. His skin was pale, he was sweating heavily while suffering from a constant chill, and had completely lost all of his strength, judging by the way he was flopped down on his side of the carriage. "Who am I again?"

Lucy could only sigh in exasperation.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy!" Happy cheerfully reassured her. "Natsu gets like this a lot of times, but he always gets better after."

Lucy was silent for a moment, and then she smiled and nodded. "Well," she said. "You know him better, so I guess it's fine leaving it to you."

"Aye!"

"Ha, always cheerful aren't you?"

"Aye!"

Lucy shrugged and looked out the window as the carriage continued to climb up the slopes of Mount Hakobe. "By the way Lucy," Happy began. "Thanks for coming along with us. Natsu could probably find Macao by himself, but your help is welcome too."

"Hmm…?" Lucy hummed before giving a small laugh. "No, it's nothing. To be honest I understand how that Romeo boy feels. I'm guessing his dad is his only parent left. To lose one is bad enough, but both…?"

Lucy trailed off, and Happy's smile vanished. The cat stayed silent for several moments before continuing. "Lucy, aren't your parents around anymore?" he asked softly.

"Hmm…? Oh no, my father's still around." Lucy replied before looking away with a veiled expression. "It's just that, we um, drifted apart, after mother died."

 _In the end, not even Blut Vene was any good against wasting sickness._

Lucy's hands twisted into fists. " _Power to split the heavens…?_ " she thought bitterly. " _What a joke. It couldn't save my mother's life, so…_ "

Lucy shook her head clear. " _No,_ " she thought. " _There's no point in blaming our powers' fallibility. Blut Vene can increase a person's endurance and durability, not just against enemy attack but also even in the face of serious injury, but it doesn't actually heal you. It let mother live longer, but it didn't actually make her better, or counter the disease. If anything, after a certain point depending on Blut Vene to keep herself alive, death would be more merciful._ "

Lucy sighed, and turned back to Happy who was apologizing for bringing up the topic. "It's fine." She said. "And don't say sorry. You're not at fault. Though it seems harsh, the most helpful – in a way – thing ever said over it was 'these things happen'. And they do. She got sick, and though everything and everyone tried their best, it just wasn't enough."

Lucy sighed again, and looked out of the window with hard eyes. "But," she said. "There's still something that can be done over Mr. Macao's disappearance. Hopefully there's no need for Lord Ormuzd to welcome him to the next life yet."

"Who's that?"

Lucy blinked and shook her head before smiling at Happy. "Just a god I believe in." she said. "Well, we should be there in a bit, so let's just sit tight for now."

Natsu groaned as the carriage jolted after striking a stone, and nearly emptied his stomach on the floor. As Happy busied himself with helping Natsu keep his stomach under control, Lucy turned her attentions back to the mountain landscape outside.

* * *

"I AM **REBORN!** " Natsu bellowed triumphantly, golden flames erupting from his mouth and around his hands as he stomped around triumphantly outside of the carriage. Lucy was busy conferring with the carriage driver, and confirmed this was as high as he was going to take them, and while he'd wait for their return, if they were to go further, they'd have to do it on their own.

"Now then," Lucy began, shielding her eyes from all the snow in the wind that the mountain blizzard had kicked up. "How do we go about looking for Macao in this weather? Damn it, I should really have brought a cloak."

Shivering in the cold, Lucy activated _Blut Vene_ , black patterns briefly flickering over her skin over and over as snow struck it. The cold receding, she looked at Natsu, and shook her head.

" _Figures a Fire Dragon Slayer wouldn't be affected by cold._ " She thought wryly. " _And of course Happy's got fur._ "

"Hey Natsu!" Lucy said loudly to be heard over the storm.

"Hmm, what? Lucy? What are you doing here?" Natsu ground to a halt, pointing at her quizzically.

Lucy fought the urge to palm her face. "I said I was coming along to help look for that Macao person, remember?" she said.

"Oh yeah." Natsu said, and scratching at a cheek. He then grinned at her. "Anyway, thanks for coming along! We'll be able to deal with this really quick!"

"Good to see you're in high spirits." Lucy said with a small laugh. She crossed her arms. "So? How do you plan to look for him?"

"Obviously we're going to look for him."

There was complete silence apart from the howling of the wind. And then Lucy coughed. "Let me get this straight," she said. "You're planning to scour every nook and cranny on this frozen pile of rock, until you find Mr. Macao?"

"That's the idea!"

Lucy's eye twitched. "Do you have any idea how long that is going to take?" she asked testily.

"Of course!" Natsu said. "That's why we should get started right now. MACAO! MACAO, WHERE ARE YOU? MACAO!"

"Hey wait! Natsu!" Lucy shouted, but it was too late. Natsu and Happy had already rushed off, shouting and bellowing at the top of their lungs.

Lucy fumed. "Those idiots are going to set off an avalanche bellowing like that." She growled as she ran after them. "And running off like that, despite accepting my help? I don't even know how Macao looks like…or even, what he was doing on this mountain in the first place."

Lucy slowed to a halt, warily looking around her. " _It shouldn't be too dangerous, but…_ " Lucy thought, her body tensing by instinct. And then she flickered with _Hirenkyaku_ moments before something a large and heavy slammed down into the ground she'd been standing on moments ago.

"What the…a giant monkey?" she said, clutching her cross.

"Woman, woman, woman!" the monkey bellowed repeatedly, pumping its fists into the air. "Me like woman!"

Lucy felt her eye twitch and was about to form a bow in her hand when Natsu ran up with Happy. "Lucy, what's…a Vulcan!" he said.

"It's a Vulcan!" he shouted, pointing a finger at it.

"It's a Vulcan!" Happy also shouted.

"A Vulcan…? That's a Vulcan?" Lucy echoed. She briefly ran through what the beasts were, and then something clicked, especially over an _unusual_ sense coming from the beast.

 _No way…_

"Hey you, monkey!" Natsu shouted at the Vulcan, and causing it to look in his direction. "Yeah you! A friend of mine went out here for you and yours, so you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

Lucy, who was about to make a move to confirm her suspicions, couldn't help but freeze in shock.

 _What? Just, what?_

 _And the job was over hunting those beasts down? Well that explains things somewhat, assuming I'm right._

The monkey nodded several times, and stomping over to a ledge-like protrusion on the mountain road that looked out over a sheer drop below, beckoned Natsu over and pointed at something in the distance. Natsu ran over, and looked out. "MACAO!" he shouted. "WHERE…!"

The Vulcan kicked Natsu over the edge, the Dragon Slayer shouting in surprise as he was sent flying. "Natsu!" Happy shouted, sprouting his wings and quickly following after the Dragon Slayer.

"Me no like man!" the Vulcan triumphantly, jumping up and down. "Me like woman!"

Lucy flickered over, and with a _Blut Arterie-_ empowered blow to the chin (but not too much – she needed to be strong enough to knock the towering ape out _not_ to knock its head and by extension potentially Macao's off) sent the Vulcan spiraling through the air to fall unconscious on the ground several feet away. After a moment, magic flashed, and two bodies were on the ground.

There was a middle-aged, rugged-looking man with dark hair and a scraggy beard that looked rather beaten, and the ape from before. Lucy's cross flashed and she crafted a small, automatic crossbow instead of her usual longbow. Without a word she rapid-fired several _Heilig Pfeil_ into the beast, leaving its corpse lying in a pool of its own blood.

Dispersing her bow, Lucy knelt down beside Macao, and quickly ran a check of his injuries. It all seemed superficial, but that was only on the surface. From his aura it was clear he was at the least very exhausted, and seeing as she was no expert, they should probably get him to a proper doctor to check him over first.

Movement and an approaching presence drew her attention, and Lucy sharply looked over a shoulder. She relaxed when she saw it was only Natsu and Happy, the latter dropping the former before retracting his wings. "Macao!" Natsu shouted, running over to Macao and Lucy.

"Relax," Lucy told him. "He's just out cold. Apparently, he got taken over by a Vulcan. Fortunately, all you have to do to break the hold is to knock the Vulcan unconscious."

"Wow Lucy," Happy chimed in. "You're strong enough to knock out that giant ape? Amazing!"

"Well, not really," Lucy said modestly. "I just have a couple of tricks up my sleeve, that's all."

"I have no idea what that means, though that probably means you used magic." Natsu said in all seriousness.

"What the…? That doesn't…you contradicted yourself in the same sentence!" Lucy spluttered.

"Really?" Natsu said blankly.

Lucy sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Never mind," she said, grabbing one of Macao's arms and partly-hoisting the man over a shoulder. "Come on, let's just get Mr. Macao out of here before more of those damn things show up."

"Let them." Natsu said darkly, but helping Macao regardless. "I'll pay them back with interest for doing this to one of our guild-mates."

Lucy looked at him in surprise, and then smiled and nodded. "I understand how you feel," she said. "But right now we've got to get Mr. Macao to help. You'll just have to be satisfied with that one beast over there."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Natsu agreed with a dark look at the dead Vulcan. Something flickered over his face, but he shook his head and looked away. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

It was already sunset by the time they reached town, and Macao had woken up halfway there. "I'm really sorry for causing this much trouble to both of you." He apologized for the countless time, as Natsu and Lucy helped him along the street. "Especially you Lucy, seeing as you're just a new member and all."

"I told you already," an exasperated Lucy said. "It's no trouble at all. I'm fairly sure guild-mates are meant to help each other out in cases like this, and you'd do the same for me in the same situation."

"Even so," Macao said wearily. "I can't help but feel ashamed. To think I couldn't even finish such a simple job, and I was taken advantage of by a Vulcan to boot…how could I face the guild now? How could I face Romeo?"

"Hey Macao!" Natsu said angrily. "Do you really we'd actually treat you like that over such a small thing? Do you really think Romeo would? Did that Vulcan suck away all your sense or something?"

"But, I…"

"But nothing!" Natsu shouted. "There's no way any of us, and especially not Romeo, would look down on you for losing to that oversized monkey! You're alive, and you're back safe, and that's all that matters! It should be all that matters! Isn't that right, Lucy?"

Lucy blinked, and glancing at Natsu, nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"What do you mean, yeah?" Natsu said. "Come on, say something! And you Macao, don't even _think_ any more about feeling ashamed over what happened. If you do, I'll really kick your butt!"

Macao was silent, fighting back tears, while Lucy was also silent, though she eventually broke her silence a few moments later. "While I can't speak for the guild seeing how new I am," he said. "And I'm probably overstepping my bounds just saying this much, no matter how badly beaten up they might be, no matter how they've lost, I could care less so long as my parents come home to me at the end of the day."

"That's exactly it!" Natsu said in agreement. "It doesn't matter that you lost, what matters is that you're back, safe, and can go back home with Romeo. Just make up the score later on!"

Macao sobbed, and nodded. Lucy glanced at him and Natsu, and then with a sigh looked back at the road ahead. She blinked and turned back to Natsu and Macao. "Heads up," she said. "Romeo's here."

"What?" Macao breathed.

It wasn't wrong. Before long, Romeo's happy shouts could be heard as he ran up the street towards them, the little boy smiling widely and waving a hand in the air as he ran forward. "Romeo…" Macao whispered, and then with a jolt Natsu pushed him forward.

"Well?" the Dragon Slayer asked. "What are you waiting for?"

Macao didn't need further encouragement. Fighting back the painful protests of his muscles, he forced himself forward, to meet his son, and refusing to fall to his knees until he was holding him in his arms.

"DAD!"

"ROMEO! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG, I'M SORRY…"

Natsu and Lucy looked on, and after a moment Lucy sighed. Natsu glanced at her. "Thanks for helping out." He said. She glanced back at him.

"What?" she said with a small smile. "I'm part of Fairy Tail now, aren't I? I did what I had to do."

"Yeah, I guess you did." Natsu agreed. "Though, thanks for saying what you said back there too."

"I…I'll probably have to apologize for that." Lucy said. "I probably did go too far. I don't really know the details and I…"

Natsu laughed, and slapped Lucy hard on the back. The girl cringed and glared at him. "Don't sweat it." Natsu said, already heading for the guild house. "I think you got what you wanted to say through so I'd say its fine."

Lucy stared after the Dragon Slayer for a bit, trying to rub her back, and then smiled a small smile. "Idiot," she said. "But I understand."

* * *

"You don't look like you're having much fun."

The party to welcome Macao back was in full swing, everything loudly enjoying themselves. Macao himself was sitting at a table with his son and closest friends, eating and drinking and chatting, punctuated every so often with loud bursts of laughter. Which was pretty much the same story all over the guildhall actually.

Lucy sat at the bar, nursing a glass of juice and watching people coming and going in front of her. She looked up at the person who asked and saw it was Cana. "Not really," she said. "Or rather, I guess I'm just not used to parties like this."

"Oh?" Cana said with clear interest. "You've never gone to a party before? I find that hard to believe."

"Well," Lucy said with mild embarrassment. "It's not so much I haven't gone to parties before, it's just that they were usually more…sophisticated than this."

Cana was briefly at a loss. And then she nodded slowly. "I see." She said.

Lucy scratched at her head. "Though," she said. "I actually prefer this to any party I've gone to before."

"Oh? That sounds interesting." Cana said with a grin, sitting down beside Lucy. For once, Cana wasn't drinking out of a keg, rather out of an ordinary (if rather large) beer mug. It was probably because a keg couldn't be dragged around easily around the crowded guildhall tonight. "So what do you mean by that?"

Lucy laughed softly. "In comparison, our guild-mates are rude, uncouth, unsophisticated and inelegant, and the celebrations are simply barbaric." She said.

"Ouch," Cana said, but she was grinning. "But?"

"But they're honest." Lucy said with a wink. "Everyone in those parties I went to as a child, well most of the people there, were all lying through their teeth. And everything was so damn stuffy, to the point I'm not sure if they were really enjoying themselves. I certainly didn't."

Cana laughed. "Yeah, we're a rather rowdy bunch aren't we?" she said. "But we certainly enjoy life. And you should too. You're one of us now."

"Thanks…"

"No really," Cana insisted. "You helped save Macao, and I'd say that puts you out of the newcomer category a long way."

Lucy smiled, and raised her glass. "Thanks," she said. "It'll take some getting used to, but thanks."

"Take your time." Cana said, clinking glasses with Lucy and draining them together. "AH! That hits the spot. So how about it? Enough with the children's drinks and have something for the grownups?"

"I'm not old enough for alcohol yet." Lucy said primly. Cana pouted.

"Oh come on." She said. "It's just for the night. Enjoy yourself. Indulge."

Lucy laughed at that. "What are you supposed to be?" she asked in jest. "The tempting devil on my shoulder?"

Cana laughed as well. "I guess I do sound something like that." She said. "Well I guess I'll have to play the role of a 'responsible' adult for now."

She briefly broke off at that, but then she carried on so quickly like it was just a passing thought. "Well I did say you should take time getting used to things," she said with a wink. "But at the very least, would you care to make a bet?"

"I'm not exactly rich right now," Lucy said apologetically. "So it depends on the bet. And what does it involve, exactly?"

Cana grinned. "Let's bet on how long until this party turns into a brawl." She said.

Lucy whistled, and knocked on the wooden countertop. "Should you really be saying something like that?" she asked, and Cana laughed again.

"Trust me," she said. "It happens so often that it's practically inevitable."

"It doesn't like a good bet then…" Lucy was saying when an alarmed shout cut in.

"WATCH OUT!"

Lucy and Cana turned their heads, just in time for Lucy to take a pie to the face. A hush fell on the guild, the pie plate slowly falling off to clang against the floor. And then slowly, deliberately, Lucy raised a hand, and wiped strawberries and cream off her face.

"Alright," she said coolly, still wiping pie off her face. "Who's the funny guy? If you come out now, I promise I won't hit you."

Cana knocked on wood. For a long moment there was silence, and then another pie swished through the air and hit Grey in the face. Natsu exploded in laughter – though considering where he'd been standing at the time he probably wasn't the one who threw the first pie at Lucy – only for a furious Grey to jump at him and sock him in the face.

"Bastard!" Grey shouted.

"You want a fight, you've got it!" Natsu said, punching Grey back. He tumbled back against a table, spilling beer bottles, plates, utensils and food, and scattering the people around it. Wiping at his lip, Grey threw himself back against Natsu, while behind him the brawl exploded further as one drunk Fairy Tail wizard punched the closest guy in the face for no reason whatsoever. And everything just proceeded to snowball from there.

"I told you so." Cana said smugly.

Lucy wiped more pie off her face. "I think I'm just going to go and find someplace to sleep right now." She said.

Cana shrugged and made to say something when a stray piece of wood knocked her full mug out of her hand, causing it to fall and break on the floor. Cana's eyes flashed to where it came from, and she was up in a moment, leaping across the floor fists swinging. "Bastard!" she shouted. "I wasn't finished with that!"

A right and then a left sent two wizards flying, and then dodging a third's blow replied with an uppercut. She felt someone approach from behind, but the first two from before came at her leaving him with her hands full.

 _Damn…_

The wizard coming from behind was punched clear by Lucy, who'd tied her hair back. "I thought you were going to look for a place to stay." Cana asked.

"You said this was practically inevitable." Lucy replied, standing beside Cana in a momentary standoff with their guild-mates. "Might as well start getting used to it then."

Cana grinned, and Lucy smiled back. And then pulling their fists back jumped forward to resume the brawl.

* * *

Laughter echoed through the cool night air as a pair of young women made their way down Magnolia's streets. Their clothes were dirty and in places ripped, more noticeably so in the blonde woman's case, considering her clothes were predominantly _white_ as opposed to the darker shades preferred by her companion.

"You fit perfectly with us fairies." Cana said before laughing some more. The two of them had quietly slipped out after the brawl had died down, either because the brawlers had been knocked out (such as in the case of Grey and Natsu), or had gotten worn out and either left or started making up over more alcohol.

"I'm glad to hear that." Lucy said. "Though, with that said I'd still that not happen too often."

"It happens often enough." Cana said. "Though not so often you'd get tired of it. Thanks though, for backing me up there."

"No problem." Lucy said with a shrug. "Apart from Mirajane and Natsu, you're pretty much the only person with there that sticks with me regularly…so far."

"We girls have to stick together after all." Cana said, and she and Lucy shared a laugh. For several moments afterwards they walked in silence, but eventually Lucy spoke up.

"Grey and Natsu," she said. "Is there anything between those two? I mean, from what I've seen of those two they seem to push each other's buttons a lot."

Cana laughed at that. "Oh yeah, those two go back a long way." She said. "They've been going at it since they were kids. It's practically a bad habit for them. Literally: I'd swear at least _half_ the brawls in the guild are set off by those two going at each other."

"But they are friends, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they're friends."

Lucy raised a wry eyebrow. "Vitriolic best friends?" she asked, and Cana looked at her curiously.

"What's that?" she asked.

Lucy shrugged. "Basically friends who constantly argue and fight with each other." She said. "But when it matters, then it can't be doubted that yes, they are friends."

Cana laughed. "Yeah, that pretty much describes Grey and Natsu to a T." she said, and she and Lucy shared another laugh. "Those were pretty big words."

"Yeah, I guess they were."

Cana stayed silent for several moments. "You'll probably get along well with Levy then." She eventually said. "She knows a lot of big words too, considering she reads a lot. Though, she's pretty friendly for all that."

"Is that so?" Lucy asked. "I can only hope then that she wasn't caught up in the trouble earlier."

"Nah," Cana said with a wave of her hand. "She was out on a job with the rest of her team. Though, if I remember correctly they should be back by tomorrow. I could introduce you if you want."

"Hmm, tomorrow, eh?"

"You have something else planned already?"

"Yeah," Lucy said sheepishly. "I'm going to have to take a job soon or I'll be out of money."

"Oh I see."

The two women walked some more in silence for a while, until Cana stopped before a certain door. "Well," she said. "Here's my stop. What about you?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'll figure something out." She said.

Cana blinked, and regarded Lucy for several moments closely. It wasn't so much that she was haggard or anything that could be taken as her in dire straits, but there was something off about her, like…

…like she couldn't go back, or had nothing to go back to.

As though Fairy Tail or wherever or whatever she was doing at present was all she was or had.

Cana sighed, and made a decision. She wouldn't pry, while she liked the new girl they didn't know each other all that well yet, so it was best to let things come out at the right time.

"Come on," she said, unlocking her door and turning the lights on. "You can bunk with me for tonight."

Lucy looked surprised and taken aback. "I don't want to impose or anything…" she began only to be interrupted by Cana.

"Nah, you're not." She said. "And besides you said you'll figure something out didn't you? It'll probably cost you though, unlike here. And you did say you're running out of money too. So come on in. We're friends aren't we?"

"Friends…" Lucy echoed, and then she smiled after a small pause. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Cana smiled and nodded, letting Lucy into her apartment. "Make yourself at home while I run some hot water for you." She said, showing Lucy into the living room before heading deeper into her place. "You got hit by that pie remember? It's probably for the best you take a bath before going to bed."

"Now there's a thought." Lucy said, sitting down on the couch. "Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it."

"No problem." Cana called from up a set of stairs. "What are friends for, after all?"

"Yeah," Lucy echoed wistfully. "Friends…what a nice word…"

* * *

A/N

If you want to know who Ormuzd is, use Google.

AFAIK, no one among the main characters has actually killed anyone yet. BUT, somehow, I get the feeling that missions that involve people getting killed fall into the S Class category, which is one reason – apart from the dangers involved – why only S Class Wizards (for all Fairy Tail's rule bending tendencies) are allowed to take them. Erza certainly seems to have the resolve to kill if she **NEEDS** to, at least that's how I see it. And pre-character development Laxus is certainly capable of killing. After character development though, and in Erza's case as well, killing is an absolute last resort.

Also, I'm fairly certain that the implied 'no killing' rule of Fairy Tail only applies to Humans and other sapient beings (and Mavis during the Eclipse Arc was troubled by the Dragon Slayers failing to _kill_ any dragons). Macao's job in canon literally is to 'get rid' of Vulcans on Mt. Hakobe. So no, I don't think Natsu would censure Lucy for killing that Vulcan.

Yes, AU Lucy is capable of killing. She's a Quincy after all, and even with their AU background, well, you'll see.


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